Posted on 09/27/2006 7:36:05 AM PDT by stainlessbanner
Controversial Dallas Player Tells Authorities He Overdosed On Painkillers
(CBS News) DALLAS Controversial Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Terrell Owens has told police he tried to kill himself by overdosing on pain medication, even putting two more pills into his mouth after a friend intervened.
A Dallas police report released Wednesday morning said Owens told his friend "that he was depressed."
The friend, who is not identified in the report, "noticed that (his) prescription pain medication was empty and observed (Owens) putting two pills in his mouth," the police report said.
The friend attempted to pry them out with her fingers, then was told by Owens that before this incident he'd taken only five of the 40 pain pills in the bottle he'd emptied. Owens was asked by rescue workers "if he was attempting to harm himself, at which time (he) stated, `Yes.'"
CBS affiliate KTVT in Dallas-Fort Worth and other local media had reported that Owens had been taken to Baylor Medical Center Tuesday night, possibly for an allergic reaction to pain medication he is taking for his broken hand.
According to the Dallas Police Department incident report, Owens told police he took more than 30 pills in a suicide attempt.
Sources tell KTVT that Owens was taken to Baylor Hospital by Dallas Fire Rescue and that emergency room doctors attempted to induce vomiting.
Baylor Hospital officials continue to deny Owens received treatment. However, federal privacy laws allow people to block their name from being released.
"This is not serious," Owens' publicist Kim Etheridge had said in Wednesday's online edition of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
Two weeks ago Owens broke his hand during a football game against the Washington Redskins.
Earlier Tuesday, Parcells said he expected Owens to rejoin his teammates at practice Wednesday and would start Sunday in Tennessee if he proves he can play.
"It's just, can he withstand the pain of catching the ball?" Parcells said. "When he can stand it, he can play."
The Cowboys had a bye last weekend, so Owens has yet to miss a game because of this injury. He's repeatedly said he'll play Oct. 8, when he gets to face his former team, the Eagles, in Philadelphia.
Owens chatted briefly with reporters in the locker room Tuesday afternoon and seemed fine.
Owens, one of the league's top receivers during his 11-year NFL career, is best known for wild stunts on the field and other publicity-seeking antics off it.
When the Cowboys signed him to a $25 million, three-year deal in March, they said their background checks indicated no red flags. In fact, team consultant Calvin Hill — who mostly deals with troubled players — said during training camp that his department was not involved with Owens because he didn't have a history of those kinds of problems.
Dallas police officials said they were planning a news conference, but did not immediately release a time. A hospital spokeswoman said early Wednesday there was no patient registered as Terrell Owens, although federal privacy laws allow people to block their name from being released.
Owens' publicist and agent, and the Cowboys, did not return repeated calls from The Associated Press. No teammates or Cowboys officials were seen entering the hospital late Tuesday night.
Sometimes a suicide attempt is a outcry by a troubled individual in need desperate need of help, sometimes it is just a cry for attention. I would suspect the latter in this case and T O was frustrated that he was running out of ways to be the center of attention. Drew Rosenhaus will put some interesting spin on this.
"Some guys will do anything to get out of a contract."
Given the man's track record, I would initially agree with your assesment.
However, having suffered from depression myself, I can see where he might run off the rails; I mean, he went from being tops in his profession to persona non grata and barely catching anything this season.
Yes, the situation he finds himself in is of his own making, but when you're an egomaniac and have that sense of entitlement, you can't typically be honest with yourself about such things.
On the one hand, I wouldn't put it past Owens to engage in a publicy stunt. On the other hand, I'd think it best to cut the man some slack -- he might really be ill and a danger not just to himself, but to others -- until more is known.
Most people just don't realize how destructive a force depression can be.
I think that's true 99% of the time. On the other hand, there was a kid in my neighborhood (very messed up) who took the pills in his bedroom, then went to the Living Room where his family was watching TV. He "fell asleep" on the floor and his family left him there to spend the night. Of course he never woke up.
Did he think he'd be saved by his loving family? Probably.
Was he trying to torture his family with everlasting guilt by slowly dying in front of them while they ignored him? Possibly.
Suicide is a real bad thing.
Drew Bledsoe tries to commit suicide every Sunday. he just doesn't know it.
The freak show continues...
"Drew Bledsoe tries to commit suicide every Sunday. he just doesn't know it."
Let's face it; Bledsoe couldn't be mobile if you called him a cab. Big difference between putting a gun to your head and appearing to grow roots in the pocket.
This is either a stunt, or the guy is bipolar.
Women use pills,but men don't.
Oh, that's just terrible.. *snicker*
I'm going to leave my TV off for a few months.....heck his agent may have helped him stage this.
I'm sure they will show the maximum decorum, and refrain from disparaging remarks concerning Mr. Owens.
It could very well be the case that a combination of the medications he was taking could have induced the feelings of depression that would have made him want to do himself in.
Read the article again.
He was only looking for attention. People that really want to commit suicide don't do it where someone else will interfere or intervene.
Who cares?
Dude thats cold. I suffer from depression(deep) and it crosses my mind too. I wouldn't wish suicide on anyone. Even someone like TO. Larry Flint maybe.
No argument from me on this point. It's also possible that he's a devious SOB, or that he's suffered from some form of mental illness forever and it finally came crashing down on him.
It's hard to speculate when you don't know what's in a man's head.
I agree. No need to kick a man when he is already down.
If you don't care, why did you post on this thread?
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